I Didn't Forget You
by Koure
Summary: What if Zack managed to escape Hojo's labs three years prior to the Square's plot? But what if to do so he had to leave Cloud? This story unfolds in sorrow and new journey's beginnings, where regrets hang heavy on the heads of the innocent.  Yaoi Warning
1. Prolouge

The full force of my body slamming into a chain link fence caused it to bend and shudder as sirens blared through the chilled night air. My desperate fingers curled into the holes of it, and I gripped it with weak strength. It was a little over eight feet tall, glowing silver and shiny in the moonlight. It was obviously new, but that didn't matter. It's mere presence was a problem.

"Come on Cloud!", I growled in distress, looking behind me. My eyes were slowly filling with tears of frustration, but I was still hoping we'd make it.

My best friend was bent partway over, hands on his knees, unable to breathe properly. His white-blond mane hung from his head, spilling past his cheeks and down his neck. His glowing blue eyes were hidden behind closed eyelids and his skin seemed unhealthily pale. His thin body was racked in mini convulsions.

'_Well that happens when you haven't seen the outside world in over three years and a loony bastard experiments on you', _I thought, a bitterness that I'd been told didn't suit me in my thoughts.

I let go of the fence and trotted over to him, keeping an eye out for anyone from the mansion. My legs trembled and ached, and I wouldn't be able to raise my arms above my head if I needed to. I was exhausted, but I didn't care. This was a golden opportunity to get away from Hojo, away from the pain he'd inflicted and would continue to cause if we stayed.

But Cloud could never make it over the fence by himself, and I didn't have the strength to help him over.

As if reading my thoughts, my blond buddy straightened and looked up at me -I still stood several inches above him- and I watched his blue eyes shine in determination. I felt an echo of delight from his expression, it had been too long since I'd seen him like this. For a long time he'd been to tired and in pain to even want to stay awake.

"I can't make it Zack, but you-"

"No", I said, suddenly growing angry, cutting him off, "I'm not leaving you here". I crossed my arms over my chest.

But even though I didn't want to leave him... There was this dark part of me that wanted to... Whispered in my heart to leave my best friend. If anything that made me angrier and more adamant.

Cloud narrowed his eyes at me, not that he was very intimidating... The only thing scary about him was the pain in his eyes, not just surface hurt, but deep, aching agony.

"You can get away. You can come back for me", he said. He spread his arms out slightly, though it looked like even that was an effort for him.

"Do you really want me to leave you here?", I asked, my voice raspy. Stepping closer to my Chocobo and pulling him close to me, crushing him to my chest. I couldn't. Not Cloud, not my Cloud...

"Yes", he murmured hollowly.

"I can't"

"You can"

I buried my face in the fluff of his spiky hair.

He loosely wrapped his arms around my waist, and I was thankful that Hojo's guards were so incompetent. I didn't want them to find us, I wanted to be the awesome guy I used to think myself to be and figure out a way to get out of this mess... But I couldn't. Just like I couldn't kill Sephiroth or stop Cloud's home from burning into ashes. Or keep Cloud's Mom from dying.

"Oh _Gaia_ I'm sorry Cloud", I exclaimed, tears now dripping from my eyes.

I couldn't take it. Hojo's experiments were killing Cloud, making him weaker everyday.

And I was going to leave him, alone.

When had I decided that? How was it right to leave your best friend on deaths door?

"It'll be okay Zack", Cloud said honestly, that innocence from before all this shining through for a moment.

I pulled back to stare into his eyes. He believed that? All this time... I'd thought he'd felt completely hopeless... But he'd always kept strong.

Movement caught my eye, far away from us, trailing the fence line. My heart sunk... Even now I was still feeding the fruitless hope that I'd get my buddy out of here... Cloud seemed to read my thoughts, or maybe he just felt something behind him. Who knows... I'd never really payed attention to the _results _of that bastard Scientist's experiments.

"Go now, before they get too close", Cloud said softly, now following the bulky figures with his eyes. Fear swirled in them as brightly as the mako. Cloud was scared I'd get caught, and that he'd die before I could come back and save him.

I wanted to say he'd be okay, that Hojo wouldn't hurt him anymore. It would be a lie though, so I held my tongue. I released him completely, bowing my head for a moment before I sprung up towards the fence as far as my legs would push me. The jump took me about 6ft up and I clung on, pulling myself up and then over. Simply falling to the ground.

I landed on the earth with a solid thunk, laying for a second. My face was pressed to the ground and I breathed deeply, taking in the scent of the soil and grass. Freedom... Didn't seem as sweet as I thought it would be.

"Zack?", Cloud called, worried. I heard his feet brush the grass as he came close, then the fence rustle as he went against it.

If only I had my sword... I'd cut through the damn fence.

I slowly got to my feet. "I'm fine Cloud", I mumbled, straightening.

Cloud was still against the fence, watching me in concern. I walked the two feet it took to brush against the barrier between us, putting my hand against Cloud's. The cold metal was a sharp contrast to Cloud's warm skin.

"I'll come back for you", I promised fervently. I pressed my forehead against the metal, and soon felt my buddy do the same. Pressing his forehead to mine, much like how our hands were.

"I know", Cloud said gently, "But... Please be able to accept that you might not make it in time"

I looked into his eyes, biting my lip. Yes... That thought was in my mind... And though I would never accept it as anything short of a horrible imagining, I nodded my head.

He seemed relieved, a little. He didn't think he'd make it. Or maybe he thought I wouldn't be able to save him.

"There they are!", came a thickly accented shout. I swiveled my head in disbelief and panic. Those buffoons had gotten here too quickly!

"Go!", Cloud urged.

I hesitated, the still fresh tear tracks on my cheeks joined by a few new trails. I saw that they were now flowing from his determined bright eyes as well.

"I-"

"Go!"

I turned and fled. I ran as fast as I could. The mako coursed through my exhausted body, fueling it with expendable energy. My heart broke a little more with every step I took from Cloud. From my buddy. My best-friend. Twigs cracked loudly under my feet, I crushed any grass I stepped on and sent little rocks tumbling as I climbed up to higher ground. Dead branches snapped and whipped my skin. I didn't feel any of it.

I came to a stop somewhere high in Mt. Nibel. It was a cliff edge, that overlooked the little burnt down town and the Shinra mansion. And... Far off on one side, my enhanced vision could pick out a small blond figure, being dragged back into the hellhole I'd just escaped from.

"Cloud...", I mumbled, dropping to my knees and grabbing the roots of my hair, twisting it.

"I am so sorry. I'll come back. I promise. I will", I rambled to myself, tears dripping onto the rock beneath me. "I'm sorry. It's my fault and I'll fix it... I'll make it up to you".

I'd do whatever it took. I'd get Cloud out, then I'd take Shinra down and kill Hojo. I'd keep Cloud safe. I'd make sure he was happy.

I'd probably fail at that too.

But at least I'd try... Right?

My vision flickered into black as the mako returned to a more dormant state, and I slumped down and then laid sideways. I curled into a feeble and fatigued ball. My gaze remained on the Mansion, and I made promise after empty promise to Cloud. I recognized that I needed sleep after some time, so I wearily sat up, my arms shaking. My whole body shaking. I looked around, finding a crevice in the rocks and crawled over to it. I'd be safe in the tight space, from Hojo's men and Monsters.

I closed my eyes.

Then I let the darkness take me.


	2. Chapter 1

2nd Chapter Of Trapped, which is being changed to 'I Didn't Forget You'. I do not own Final Fantasy in any way.

I thing I did pretty good on this chapter, and I owe some credit to my best friend Chy, since she sat right there and motivated me (In-between threatening to strangle me for hurting Cloudy of course ^.^')

There's a fairly large amount of yaoi in this. So, unless you like yaoi, I recommend you move on to a different story. Don't say I didn't warn you. :D

* * *

><p><em><strong>1220/0004**_

_I have come to notice that Specimen B expresses an inclination towards depression. Though slightly troublesome it is no large matter; Further research reveals more interesting characteristics on a primal scale. B thoroughly cleans when energy provides and is meticulously neat with the little possessions within his holding cell. He does not allow blood to fall from his wounds unless he is by the sink. He occasionally checks for dust gathering on the desk or beneath his white sheet bed, which is firmly pressed against the wall at all times. _

_Soon after A's escape 15 days ago, on the 5th of this month, B worked the screws from the frame and disassembled it, tossing the parts into a careless heap and leaving the mattress and springs on the floor. A curious action, and one I cannot understand due to his formerly clean nature. Questioning proved to be an ineffectual action for an extreme amount of hostility is currently being displayed towards all staff. _

_B has developed a habit of pacing and fasting at random intervals, though they usually occur before and after Mako showering and injections. B sleeps an average of 4 hours per night, on a clockwork routine. Though he cannot tell, he sleeps from the hours of 4:00AM-8:00AM. Other time is spent reading the books I have brought him. To my extreme excitement he has progressed extensively during the short absence of A and now reads at the level my dear Sephiroth was formerly at before his unexpected demise. This has all worked out too perfectly. A's escape has brought new opportunities to me, that specimen has opened B's options. Even the death of Sephiroth, I now realize, was for the best. He had been branching further and further from my influence, and the fact that the Specimen Jenova so easily possessed him proves to me that he did indeed have faults. Now I can start fresh, with this child. _

_On a related note, I am allowing Specimen A to due as he pleases for now. I have not the time to brood over the nuisance, and I must admit I'm curious as to how much mental stress A can undergo before he breaks... Perhaps losing his companion will result in the desired effects._

_Curiously, B has not aged since early last year, though measurements have been taken every week. He is approximately 18 years old, with the physical body of how he had been at 16. He looks even younger, with his long lashes and childish face. His muscle mass still grows with the strict regiment I have provided, and his hair at a slow rate of a quarter inch every six months. His blue eyes are tainted with green, but are not completely consumed like Sephiroth's were when he was a child. This assures me that he is even more advanced than Sephiroth. _

_The only problem to rectify appears to be his dependency on Specimen A. He is unwilling to participate with anything, even get up from bed, without being threatened. And every day he grows more lax in his care for his own well being. I have been pondering ways to correct this behavior, and have finally come up with a solution. I will toy with his memory, see what can be done, and perhaps remove every memory of his past while leaving the information he has learned from the books I have presented to him. I may play around with Scopolamine and Electroconvulsive Therapy techniques, perhaps a few others. Mako will certainly enhance the effects, therefore I believe caution should be executed. I'm curious as to how his personality will alter... Well, I will document the proceedings carefully. Now it is 09:50AM and nearly time for B's first Mako shower of the day, I expect he will already be awake and waiting. He has his punishment to endure for aiding A's escape, after all._

_-Professor F. Hojo_

* * *

><p>Zack gripped the handle of the Buster Sword tightly, the soft leather growing warm against his bare skin. By contrast, the penetrating cold air blew right through his chest and chilled his heart, but though the effect spread a numbness through his body, a tense smile formed on his face. The dark haired man's bright, sky blue, eyes shone with both mirth and pain, creating an intoxicating aura around him that he was quite familiar with. Surrounding him was barren and foul looking mountains, but as he began walking once again his feet tread lightly on little bits of green grass.<p>

Zack had only stopped for another days rest, still not at full strength, to once again contemplate his next move. The all consuming sadness and guilt had only submerged itself beneath his hope and awe of freedom as the days went by. He gathered his will and determination again slowly, finding it difficult and all to hard to believe he was well and truly free. There was was a certain pain with letting himself feel happiness, to know that Cloud was likely being punished for what they'd done.

He had, at first, wanted to rampage back down the mountains and rescue Cloud, and nearly had, having gotten down and close to the Mansion after dodging monster and man alike. He'd surprised himself by spotting the Buster Sword in a small storage hold nearby. The unfortunate sword had some rust on it, and the leather of the handle was worn. A fierce anger had consumed him at seeing Angeal's sword so neglected and as he attempted to pick it up was utterly shocked that he couldn't lift it more than five feet from the ground, and couldn't hold it up for much longer than a few minutes. The wave of realization that followed caused him to fall into silent thought before he groaned and ran his hands through his hair irritatedly, tears of anger being held back. He didn't have the strength needed to save Cloud right now.

_Of course things would turn out like this. I'm free and I can't even help Cloud._

To leave his little blond friend was more painful than any of Hojo's procedures, not that Hojo had really bothered with him. Zack had only ever been a control to make Cloud behave and do as instructed, which caused Zack to wonder; _Just how would Cloud act without me?_

Back in the present he was trotting at a steady pace, thinking about how Cloud had once compared him to a Nibel Wolf. A strong creature, built for endurance and power, but no good with magic. At the time he'd pretended to be offended, which sent Cloud into a quiet fit of apologies and little blushes whenever it was mentioned, much to his lasting humor. The thought caused him to grin toothily, as always relying on good memories to draw him out of his funk. And there were good memories in abundance, weren't there? Yeah, of course. Why let the bad drown out the good?

Zack continued his pace, still thinking. Where exactly was he going? From looking at how the sun's pattern was he could tell the direction he was traveling was more or less towards North Coral, east. He faultered some as he went, drawing to a stop to cast another glance at the looming Nibel mountains behind him. How gloomy they were... But one of his precious friends was there, and Zack had no idea what was happening to him. Two weeks... Geez, had he really spent so long living off of stream water and catching small animals to eat? He had to admit though, the fresh meat and mountain water was so much better than the vitamin enriched foods Cloud and he had been given, along with the energy drinks. He patted his stomach lightly as it rumbled in response to his thoughts.

He'd spent a lot of hungry days craving good homemade food with Cloud in their holding cell.

Zack's eyebrows furrowed in worry, he truly hated the idea of leaving Cloud, and it was eating him up inside. He felt the unbearable need to crouch down and cry, but he knew that nothing good would come of it. What he needed was to get to Midgar, check on Aerith, get strength with some allies, and come back to save his Cloudy like a knight in shining armor!

Ew... But shining armor sounded so... Cliche... Maybe shoulder guards would do well enough, he was pretty sure Cloud liked them. After all, he'd worn them himself hadn't he?

Zack turned his gaze back towards his path and began walking again, eyes shining in determination as the sun slowly set.

* * *

><p>Zack is gone.<p>

He really left.

It's a terrifying thought that sends me into shivering fits as I curl up against the cold stone wall, on my bed. I close my eyes and lightly run my fingers through my fringe, a habit I've developed from Zack. I'm glad he left. But there's a fear in me running just as strong as my hope for him. He was miserable and confused when he fled, I could see that so clearly, but he _ran, _with a strength I wasn't aware he had. He ran from Hojo, he ran from me, and he ran from himself. It was going to hurt him for years that he'd left me here, but I knew he could live through it. Even if I died...

Almost silently I can hear footsteps coming down the cavern. I know it's Hojo, back from whatever has kept him away. He has an annoying gait, a sort of limping, shuffling walk.

Hojo... I cannot even guess at what he is planning for me now. I haven't seen him since the day Zack escaped, though that's not altogether unusual. He _is _Shinra's top scientist, there are board meetings and other science 'Projects' he attends to. But I know he was furious. Enough to order the guards to beat me once back in my cell. I still have bruises, though they were careful not to break any bones. That Bastard still wants me 'healthy' for his experimenting.

Not that it'll matter soon, I can feel that I'm weakening to quickly. I'll end up a failed test subject sooner or later. Perhaps that is why he hasn't given me a number tattoo? I'm not complaining at all though. I don't want a number marked into my skin because of _him. _

There's a small thump as he stops in front of my door, probably the guard snapping to attention. All those morons smack there lax foot against the floor when they notice him.

I get irritated easily, as you can see. It's nothing like how I was when I was younger though, when I'd get in fights simply because I could. It was one of the reasons I failed in getting into Soldier... I still have a flash temper.

My eyes snap open as the door is unlocked, the thick stone being pulled open by one of the guards. I will myself to look up, and tilt my head back up with some effort. I blink a few times as fatigue sets in. I'm generally alright if I'm still, but once I start moving that strain on my body becomes obvious and it gets difficult to move.

"Ah, so nice to see you again Specimen B", Hojo cackled once he spotted me and stepped inside. His eyes roamed across my body, pausing for a moment over my chest, where Sephiroth's sword impaled me.

I'm not even going to go there. I'd rather not think about Sephiroth. Ever.

"You're looking quite ill, but perhaps we can find a remedy today. Wouldn't you like that?", Hojo tempted me, pushing the bridge of his glasses up a little. His ratty pony-tail swung behind him lightly, and his lab coat hung above the floor by several inches.

I stared at him coldly, a surge of hatred causing me to bare my teeth at him like a feral animal. My hands clench and my weakened muscles tense. He walks closer to me and several thickset guards pile in to pull me out of the room- Whether I want to go or not.

"Get away from me", I say, my tone seething and soft. There's always a gentleness to my voice, no matter my emotion. There's always something mellifluous about it, unfortunately. I hate hearing it recorded.

Hojo chuckles his creepy 'Kukuku' laughter, sending shudders up and down my spine which temporarily distracts me from the men who draw ever closer. The second their meaty hands reach for me however, my focus returns and I snap back instinctively, pressing myself against the wall and shrinking as small as I could get.

"Come now Specimen B, we have a special treatment waiting for you today...", The Professor spoke, his tone imbued with excitement and curiosity.

'_No, no, no!'_, I yell within my mind as I feel their hands touching me, pulling me, holding me secure so I can't fight back. Pulling me off of the bed and dragging me towards the doorway even as I dig my heels into the floor. I twist and turn like a I'm being electrocuted, fists flying wildly as the Mako flows through my veins, giving me panic induced energy.

The guards are struggling to keep hold of me, but they don't have far to take me and I'm not as strong as I'd be if I were healthy. The musky smell of earth and stale air assaults my senses and the rock under my feet becomes soil. A few feet away are some men who are working on the ground, applying tiled flooring and renovating the tunnel walls. The sickening scent of Mako wafts through the chamber as we grow closer to the labs, which are spotless and clean. The shelves are stocked full of modern science books about genealogy and the human body; The stainless steel tables are spotless and the small rolling table holds all of Hojo's 'tools'.

I don't really take in any of this, because the scent of Mako has instilled such a deep fear in me that I can't keep my eyes focused on anything for too long, and my instincts just keep screaming _run, hide, get away!_ They have no trouble throwing me into a Mako tank. My eyes flicker from side to side as the glass doorway is locked in front of me, and bars are placed beyond that in the off chance I manage to break the glass.

My hands are flat against the wall in second, nails scraping the wall with no affect. Hojo's voice is distorted, but whether it's because of the glass or the sudden ringing in my ears, I don't know. There's a small clinking sound above me before the spray of Mako begins and I curl into a ball on my knees. The Mako, sharp as needles and colder than ice when it hit my skin, either sunk into me or ran down my body (I wore only a pair of hospital pants) to the bottom where, -thankfully- the drain was open.

I was used to this, I was so used to it I could sink into myself and try to escape from the pain. But of course there was nowhere to go. The Mako went inside me, twisting through my veins and through my organs, up to my brain and my heart and _torturing me._

I kept my eyes open, even as I panted and writhed under the spray and screamed without a sound because my voice was _gone _when I was in here. I'd learned not to scream or yell quickly, because Zack's face became so agonized every time an utter of pain left my lips. Zack had held me so tightly after our sessions, for himself and I.

But Zack's not here.

The pain at that thought is astonishing.

I close my eyes, just for a second so I can try to collect myself, and curl into a tighter ball. I'm a small guy, I learned to be more appreciative for my size after we got thrown into Hojo's care. It let's me hide or just feel like I'm not there.

I really don't want to be here.

My thoughts are spiraling downwards like a leaf into a whirlpool. I keep thinking about life before this, life when the only pain I felt was pain I could get away from. The boring tests and exciting missions and oh Gaia my Mother...

My Mother is dead, and so is Tifa, and Mr. Lockhart, who I never really liked but he was Tifa's dad; That old man at the Inn who enjoyed having someone to talk to who actually listened t- Gaia I'm so caught up in thoughts I _don't want to be thinking _I almost don't notice how the Mako isn't stinging my skin and that I can't feel the bruises from the guards and that I feel so dizzy all of a sudden. I feel so confused when I open my eyes and I don't see anything, I raise my hands which feel so numb and touch my face.

My eyes aren't actually open. I'm not seeing anything because they're closed.

I start to shake, because I'll admit that I'm scared and _Gaia_ what has Hojo done now?

When I really focus on what's touching my skin I can feel, and I'm so startled to find that there's liquid running down my cheeks. Why? It doesn't feel as thick as Mako.

My mouth feels dry and I feel hot. Like I'm sick and dehydrated. The fatigue I've come to recognize is overpowering, I feel exhausted, like I haven't slept in days. I'm breathing fast and deep and it still feels like I can't breathe.

And my heart feels slow.

Way to slow.

* * *

><p>Hojo stood right outside the Mako tank, observing the blond inside and occasionally jotting down notes. His thin bangs framed the side of his face, somehow accenting how narrow the structure of his jaw was. A somewhat cruel, greedy, and just sickening smile was curved on his lips as he watched The Specimen.<p>

_'The Scopolamine has definitely taken root, if the specimens heart rate is to be trusted'_, Hojo thought. Specimen B's BPM (Beats Per Minute) was steadily resting at 10 beats. And while it was amazing for it to be so slow and the Specimen still be living, Hojo was concerned for his project. If the specimen did happen to perish, he would need to start the work all over again. Which would be a shame, what with how much of Shinra's funds had been used to supply the raw Mako and the time and effort put into creating such a magnificent creature. And to Hojo, that's all Cloud was. His precious, wonderful, beautiful, Specimen.

Hojo _was_ rather satisfied to see that his theory was correct, it was simply a stroke of _genius, _absolute _genius, _that he'd thought of it. To insert a drug into the specimens body while administering Mako would insure that it wasn't destroyed by the green substance, as it would be normally, and preserve it for a longer amount of time. Scopolamine had many uses, most of which Hojo approved of. The drug would get rid of the Specimen's motion sickness, combat the Mako addiction with delirium, of which Hojo was positive the Specimen would live through and recover from. It would also serve as an anti-depressant, which was convenient as he disliked how his Specimen displayed his negative emotions. Better to destroy them all together.

More importantly, it had a chance to cause amnesia.

_'In my theory, I believe that Mako will enhance the effects, and speed the process up by several months. Then I will repair whatever cognitive damage that's been made and reconstruct the Specimen's personality. He will be a fine tool once he is properly trained, more magnificent than Sephiroth ever was. And I will duplicate my experiments of Valentine so he will be the perfect example of immortality, this w-'_

A shrill, singular note sounded through the room, cutting through Hojo's thoughts and sending his lab assistants into a fit of panic.

"What is the problem?", Hojo snapped, most certainly not pleased that his thoughts had been interrupted.

"T-The S-Specimen has gone into C-Cardiac Arrest S-Sir!", a little brown haired women articulated, if in a somewhat flighty voice. People who displeased Hojo more often than not became toys to fill his obsession with science. And making a persons' life miserable.

Hojo swore in his annoyingly nasal voice and flew into action, pony-tail swinging wildly as he typed the 'End Process' code into the computer controlling the flow of Mako.

"Get him _out!', _Hojo hollered in fury.

The assistants didn't even wait for the Mako to fully drain, so great was their fear. The bars were removed and the glass doorway slid open in quick succession. They then grabbed the Specimen beneath his arms and pulled him out, thankful for their gloves when Mako dripped off of him.

His head was limp and lolling as they carried him onto one of the steel tables, running in a panic for a pair of defibrilators.

Hojo grabbed the Specimen's wrist and checked for a pulse, frowning deeply when he didn't find one.

* * *

><p>In the back of my mind, I want Hojo to <em>get the fuck away.<em>

I'm scared to death, and an aching, sluggish feeling is spreading through my body. I can't breathe, and I don't feel my heart's steady, reassuring, beating. Gaia, I don't want to die. I want to live and see Zack again and remake my life, I don't want to die on a lab table in the hands of a madman! I can't move, I can't see or hear; There's nothing but my own mind and memories and the shaking universe around me, enfolding flames to lick at my skin and burn me just like Sephiroth burned my home and my Mother.

Please oh please Goddess, let me live, let me see Zack. If I die he will hurt so much, please if not for my sake then for his. Zack is the kindest man in the world, and he deserves so much better than what he's received!

I will myself out of the small world I've been thrown into, willing my heart to beat, my fingers to move, my skin to feel and my lungs to breathe in air. Praying that the miasma I can feel flowing through my veins and my head will save me like it always does and heal whatever it is that's caused this.

I can feel a tugging on me -_in _me- and Gaia I can tell what it is because I can smell the scent of my Mother's garden flowers that always hung around her and I just _feel _her there with me and I miss her so much but I know, I _know _that she's dead and if I accept her then I'll die too! _I watched her burn and I couldn't do a thing!_

And so I turn away from the feeling of her and think about my heart (Hurting, pained, broken) and command it to start beating again.

And wish I could shout in joy as it does.

There's a single beat and the world starts returning, but no other beats and so I concentrate again, and each time my concentration centers on just my heart I, _I, _make it beat again and it's so extraordinary because I'm controlling my heart's beating! After a few more of my induced pulses it seems to take control and beats easier, without my influence, taking itself into control as if all it needed were a few moments rest. I can hear Hojo cackling with insane triumph near me and the assistants breath a collective sigh of relief and amazement.

"Take the Specimen to his holding cell, I am sure he is fine now as his stats are near normal", Hojo nearly _giggles._

Thankfully they don't try to make me walk, because I'm _tired. _My limbs feel like lead and my head like cotton candy.

They wheel me (When did the lab table get wheels?) to my cell and carefully lift my unresisting body onto my bed. I still find that I can't open my eyes, which is just a little disturbing, but I find myself not exactly caring. The bed is soft and I start to drift off within moments.

* * *

><p>A part of me knows I'm dreaming, very faintly, but it fades away almost as soon as the dream starts and a sense of peace and happiness wash over me.<p>

I'm standing in a warm spray of water, forehead pressed against the slick white tiled wall, right beneath the shower head, and to my left there's a glass doorway. I'm just relaxing, letting the water ease the tense muscles in my neck and back. I've long since washed myself, so I like just relaxing in the water. In a private shower too, that was nice as well. Gotta thank Zack for that.

I smile fondly at the thought of him, wonderful, dear old Zack. Silly Puppy.

I yawn abruptly, and run a hand through my soaking wet hair. I smile ruefully at the spikes, amazed and exasperated at the fact that they totally can't be tamed. It's probably getting close to 11:00 at night, so I should get to bed. I do have classes after all.

I turn the shower water off and step out, picking up a fluffy blue towel on the counter beside my clothes to dry off. I have to get another towel to completely dry my hair enough to where it didn't drip. I pull on my boxers, and a pair of black sleeping slacks, then toss the towels in the hamper. I didn't bring a shirt to put on, since I prefer sleeping without one, and I have a small gash on my right side that I need to bandage anyway.

I unlock and open the door, shivering lightly at the impact of cold air and the rush of steam that leaves the bathroom. I pad lightly down the thickly carpeted hall towards the bedroom I recently moved into, a 'Birthday Present' Zack had said. Though nobody in their right mind gives a bedroom in their own home to someone who's only their friend. I shake my head at his antics, but smile small anyway. Zack's a great friend.

"Thinking about me?", speaks the fore-mentioned puppy from behind me, "That's the smile you usually reserve for me".

I blink and turn around, wondering what he meant.

"Stop being so egotistical you idiot, a smile is just a smile, it doesn't mean I'm thinking about you", I say in an offhanded manner, taking in the look in his eyes. He looks a little dazed, like he was just sleeping, and the messy hair supplies evidence to my conclusion. What a weirdo, getting out of bed just to come and bother me.

"Well you don't smile much anyway and I'm usually the one who makes you smile so I thought maybe I was the reason", he says with a confident grin, looking more awake as the seconds tick by.

I roll my eyes, knowing that I _wasn't_ blushing, like I would have had I just met Zack, but I was most certainly smiling again. He was right, that infuriatingly sweet idiot, he _did _make me smile more than anyone.

He came a little closer to me, following after me as I start back towards my room. I could feel his eyes on my back, and feel a brief flicker of worry at how hard he was staring. There's something he wants to say, and I could tell.

I reach for the knob of my door, but my wrist gets caught in his hand. I freeze, unsure of what's going on as I feel him press fairly close to me, until his chest bumps my shoulder blades and he lightly pushes me against the door. He slides his hand down to mine and links our fingers, and his other hand wraps firmly around my waist, drawing himself even closer to me until we're pressed so close I feel his stomach against my back and his hips against my own. His breath ghosts over my neck before he nuzzles my collarbone. While this action isn't entirely unfamiliar, what with it being Zack, there's an altogether different feel. He's never brought us this close to each other, never held my hand like a lover might.

"Zack?", I ask softly, though not weakly. Inquisitive and wondering. My heart skips a beat as I realize I don't dislike this position, having him so close.

"I tried to stay up and wait for you to get out of the shower so I could do this, but I fell asleep for a while. The sound of a shower is really relaxing, have you ever noticed?", he muses as he presses a little kiss to my throat.

I tense up, and I feel him do as well, anxious.

"I really like you Cloud. And I mean, _really, _like you. But if you don't want this, just tell me. I'll stop", he says, his voice strong and quiet. He means it.

Maybe that, the very fact that if I tell him to stop he will, is what let's me take this chance.

"It's not a bother", I say, my tone accepting, if a little distant.

I can feel the shiver that runs through him, and wonder if it's from relief or lust. Perhaps both?

He showers my neck with feather light kisses, as the hand around my waist moves down to my hip and back up to my waist, back in forth in a repetitive motions that sends a shudder through _my _spine.

"I'm so glad", he murmurs, holding me securely in place. I realize, he doesn't want me to turn and face him, but that's alright. Zack will always do what's right, and if he just wants to hold and kiss me from behind without reciprocation, then I'll let him. I'll just show him my own affection later, when he doesn't have me gently forced against himself and a closed door.

Then I'll show him how it feels to bask in the affection raining down from behind me.

* * *

><p>I jolted awake, heart beating erratically, into a sitting position.<p>

"What the hell was that?"


	3. Chapter 2

Yaoi Warning, As usual. Disclaimer: I do not own.

* * *

><p><em><strong>1221/0004**_

_**1:19 AM**_

_Phenomenal! Absolutely phenomenal! This is a break-through in scientific history! A specimen whom was physically and mentally weak suffered a near unfortunate death, and was successfully returned to life with little to no help. It's simple amazing. Specimen B **was** dead, and unresponsive to the defibrillators and shots of adrenaline. In fact, I believe the adrenaline burned up the moment it entered his bloodstream. I am fairly sure that, should this technique be used once again, the Specimen would pull through and the whole procedure would run much more smoothly. I've settled on this Mako/Scopolamine treatment going on every other day, with periods of rest and recovery between them. Regular Mako showers would likely build up a tolerance, which would be unfavorable, so therefore Mako immersions will be postponed until evidence proves it is safe to indulge in that method of strengthening again._

_Furthermore, the Specimen is ill, with a fever and vomiting, as well as suffering hallucinations throughout the night. Mako by it's own properties causes delusions, and with the added effects of the Scopolamine I can presume that the Specimen is going to have a rather uncomfortable time. _

_I have checked in on B every three hours since he was placed back within his cell, and he woke at approximately 6:00 PM last night in an agitated state. Since then he has remained on his bed, knees drawn up and forehead pressed onto them, effectively hiding his face. I assume it is to hide from the hallucinations, and that it is not his usual act of retreating into his own mind. It is safe to believe he is in too much pain to forget his whereabouts. _

_I believe that this experiment will be successful, as I will inform President Shinra on Christmas day when he travels to investigate just what all of his funds to the science lab have been used on and why his Head Of The Science Department has been absent from Midgar for so long. He'll likely try to convince me to move the project to Midgar, but that will not do. No, it most certainly will not work. The Specimen will remain here at the Shinra mansion, under my, and only my, supervision. No one will steal this glorious revelation out from under me! _

_Specimen B, I have been thinking, deserves a proper name and identification tattoo. Successful experiments are entitled to a name and numbers are necessary for the documentation of a non-human SOLDIER. Having a name and number proves that the Specimen is not just a nameless waste of time. Not that I'd squander my time with an experiment that's failed, I have much more important things to do than pretend a hopeless and pathetic creature has the right to exist. Truly, 'normal' humans should all be eliminated. But Specimen B is certainly coming along nicely, and if I succeed in manipulating his memory, I will have a near unstoppable force under my control._

_I've been pondering the name I will give him, and I'm leaning towards his surname, Strife. It will fit his character after the treatments and I repair his behavior. I highly suspect that B will leave a path of destruction behind him, and fear in those before him in the coming future. So, rightfully, Strife should be his name. He is my seventh important and noteworthy project, VII will be his number._

_Strife VII._

_Yes, I think that will fit nicely._

_**10:25 AM**_

_Strife has certainly been having some rather vivid hallucinations, in the most recent (At 0900 Hours) he believed that the building was burning and he was being consumed in flames. I believe it was influenced by his trauma in the Nibelheim incident. Amazingly, he managed to fight off the guards for a good forty minutes before he was tranquilized. Aggravatingly, though not unexpected, he came out of the induced stupor a mere five minutes later. He's had several Visual Hallucinations, two of which were included with tactile and olfactory sensations from what observations conclude. _

_He called out for Specimen A several times, in the midst of his panic, to my displeasure. The two made a strong bond, and I can now see that I should have separated them during the experimenting whilst A was still here. It was my mistake to allow them to remain close._

_At the current moment, Strife is staring up from his bed at the ceiling, exhausted. He is coated with sweat, and his now considerably lengthened hair is plastered against his face and neck. It is near 50__°F beneath the Shinra Mansion, and he is reacting as if the temperature were high. Given his theme of delusions I am not entirely surprised. I would like to go into his cell and record his stats, but that would likely end in failure, with how incompetent my guards have been as of late and Strife's lack of cooperation._

_I will leave him in the care of my few assistants for the next few hours and get some rest, even brilliant scientists require adequate sleep._

_-F. Hojo_

* * *

><p><em>Hands firm and slick with sweat gripped his taut shoulders, holding him tightly as they rocked back and forth, little pants escaping the angelic being beneath him. His left arm wrapped around the handsome male's back, near his shoulder blades, drawing him up into a ferocious and passion filled kiss. His other hand pressed against the soft blue sheets under them both, propping them up and holding the position with ease. Their blue eyes met, fier<em>y _and lively, and he pulled back to bite deep onto the Angel's throat, just below his chin, leaving irritated red marks which would surely form into a bruise. Another physical example of how the Angel belonged to_ _**him.**_

Zack was understandably confused when he woke from that rather erotic dream, unsure of where it stemmed from and just why it had occurred, but nonetheless had to spend a few minutes calming his heated body down.

_Cloud._

He sat with his legs criss-cross ten minutes later, his sky blue eyes a little dazed from sleep, but still clearly awake and aware. His hair was rather erratic, the spikes which he had kept slicked back since Angeal's death were mussed and sticking out at odd angles, much like how it was when he was young.

"What brought _that _on?", he mumbled to himself as he raked his fingers through his hair, his face bright red with both embarrassment and the sudden revelation that he was now lusting after _Cloud_. Yes, the kid was good looking, hell, Zack had been surprised when he found out the blond was a virgin. Even more amazed when he learned his new friend didn't have a girl to spend his time with.

Since when was he gay anyway? Zack didn't think of himself as homosexual, and he couldn't imagine being in a relationship with another guy. It seemed normal to think of Cloud as his partner, but imagining some random man, no matter how handsome, didn't turn him on like how thinking of Cloud did.

He couldn't comprehend it.

So what that the blond had the most adorable face in the world? And had perfect lips and beautiful eyes, and if parts of that dream were to be believed, a skilled tongue?

"Agh!", Zack yelled aloud to try and scatter his thoughts, "Not what I should be thinking about!".

He shook his head roughly, standing up abruptly and swinging the Buster Sword onto his back, in a make shift holster until he could acquire a magnetic one. He shouldn't be thinking about getting laid, especially not by Cloud. Thinking like that, of Cloud at all, threw a jab of pain threw his heart. It wasn't right that the kid, who was undeniably young, was trapped as a test subject in the hands of a bastard scientist who had a craving to see and shed blood. How could Zack even _think _about having sex with Cloud? With his brave, sad friend who he'd _left behind._

His leather clad palm pressed against his face as he rubbed his eyes. Anger swelled within him, at himself, at Hojo, at fucking Shinra. He could turn around and go back, go and rescue Cloud from Hojo's tainted hands or die trying. He couldn't pull it off though, he knew this very clearly. His strength was returning, yes, but Hojo had weapons at his disposal, troops who would lay their lives down at his say so and Monsters under his control, despicable half-humans who had been mutated by his sick experiments. If Zack died in an attempt to save his favorite blond, what would happen to Cloud? Stuck with Hojo, utterly alone and without hope. Zack bit his lip. He needed to get to Midgar, check on Aerith and find some help. He couldn't do this alone, though acknowledging that hurt.

"Hang in there Chocobo, I'll find a way", he whispered, dropping his hand to his side, "I promise".

_Stay awake a little longer, I want to make sure Hojo didn't give you a concussion._

_Don't worry, I'll get us out. I promise..._

_You okay?_

Attempting to push his thoughts out of mind was difficult, but as he set out towards North Corel again, he used the skills he'd developed in Hojo's 'care' to his advantage. Focusing on one thing entirely with a tunnel like vision, being one of them.

His plan for the moment was to use this to hone up his abilities again... But with no monsters around right at that second his (Ever thinking) mind wandered to one of the many times he'd used that.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

As a 2nd Class, and way before that, he'd had a low attention span and a serious lack of observation skills. That had soon changed after Nibelheim. It had been necessary to listen to Hojo's muttering and the gossip of the guards, to try and find out what horror awaited them that day and how he could try and get through it relatively sane. During Hojo's experiments, which were often painful to watch and go through, he learned to take his mind into a different time and place to protect it, and focus on that one thing so completely that the rest of the world seemed to slide away.

He remembered engaging that particular defensive while Cloud was having a round with Hojo, to cut the agonized wails that echoed down the halls and rooms out. He pushed his back against the wall while he sat on one of the medical beds in their room, his knees drawn up and the blanket thrown around his shoulders for warmth in the cold cell. His shoulders shook, his pale skin lightly bloodstained. He could have cleaned it from him, there was a sink and shower right in the adjoining bathroom, but Cloud's screams held him in place, immobile, scared. He was terrified for Cloud, for his small and seemingly fragile friend, the fair-haired male tried not to scream unless Hojo was going out of his way to be cruel. Cloud's pride suffered drastically from displaying weakness, especially in front of Zack, who was acutely silent during his sessions (Give or take a groan or rare scream). His Chocobo could handle a considerable amount of pain, come to find out, about as much as Zack could stand without making a sound. It might have something to do with Cloud's personality, or how he grew up, but he could match Zack's will to be silent for the better part of it. Zack hated hearing those drawn out, ragged cries when they did occur though. Cloud's screams voiced everything he knew the blond wouldn't say.

_Help me!_

There was no help.

_I don't know what to do!_

Zack didn't know what to do either.

_It hurts!_

He knew it hurt.

_Zack!_

He was so sorry...

Zack covered his ears with his hands, his fingers latching onto and twisting his soft black hair desperately. He hated Hojo, he hated that disgusting greasy bastard so much. He wanted just one chance to kill the man, and end their suffering. He hated that Cloud had been pulled into this, 15 years old and with a dream for a happy future. Fuck, Zack had wanted to be a hero, he'd had his dreams and shared them with Cloud, sure that they'd achieve their goals. But then they'd went to Nibelheim, and there were a million things he could have done to ensure Cloud's safety! He could have noticed Sephiroth's strange behavior, could have called in instead of rushing headlong into the battle with him at the reactor, got some help. He could have told Cloud to run, or even just took Sephiroth down himself.

But he hadn't been strong enough, hadn't been willing to kill his friend and he and Cloud had suffered for it. Cloud had lost his last parent, and Zack couldn't relate to that. He couldn't comfort him entirely, and Gaia knew that in the beginning he made a lot of mistakes in trying to help Cloud with his grief. Plans of escape that repeatedly failed, promises that were broken again and again and yet he continued to make them.  
><em>I hate this<em>

_I hate Hojo_

_I hate myself_

Zack slid to the side into a tight fetal position, onto the tousled sheets, the grime on his body dirtying the crisp white and the single pillow slid down to the floor. He clenched his teeth and drove thoughts of home and his family into his head, pounding them into his consciousness like a hammer to a nail. His friends and family. They loved him, and he loved them. He'd see them again. Remember Reno's idiocy? Or Cissnei's awesomeness? Or his Mom's home-cooked food and often unwanted hugs? His Dad's gruff but playful tone? The two Turks were good friends of his, and he was on good terms with the rest of them (Or so he liked to think). Cloud's screams and the world around him seemed to dissolve into nothing the longer and harder he thought about them, the more he delved into the past and what wasn't real anymore.

Zack didn't know how long he remained like that, and he didn't realize how deeply he'd zoned out until he found himself being pulled out of his mind. There was an icy hand on his cheek, dotted with little drops of blood which slid slick against his skin. Cloud's soft, exhausted voice, full of terror, calling his name.

"Cloud...", he murmured, opening his heavy eyes. _My Cloud._

The little blond's bright blue eyes were wide and fear filled, like his voice, they met Zack's own electric ones. Cloud was shaking lightly, and his skin was black and blue with bruises in places, and thin lacerations stole across segments of his bare chest. The slender, yet painfully obvious scar from Masamune drew Zack's eyes and made his stomach clench with the want to vomit.

"Zack?"

The ebony haired man reached out, pressing his right palm against the scar, feeling Cloud's heart beat just an inch or two away. So close. He slid his arm down and around Cloud's waist, then pulled the blond onto the bed while he himself straightened out from his cramped position.

Cloud fit snugly against him, his small (But definably muscled) body matching Zack's larger near perfectly. Such a situation might have been awkward for two men, but with Zack being who he was and Cloud never one to follow the rules of conformity, and the need for safe, comforting physical touch, it was welcome to both. Zack left one arm wrapped around and under Cloud, and put his hand on the back of Cloud's head, drawing the blond's face down by the crook of his neck. The soft, almost white spikes tickled his chin.

Cloud's hand still rested gently on Zack's cheek, his other lay between them. Cloud's chest brushed his lightly, and he pulled the younger man even closer to him.  
>"Zack...?", Cloud murmured, his tone questioning, and his thumb lightly brushing beneath Zack's eye. He tilted his head up to look at Zack, their faces close, intimately so. Neither saw the implications of their proximity though.<p>

Zack closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again and breathing a soft sigh.

"I hate this Cloud", he whispered, _I hate that I can't get us out._

Cloud made a small sound of agreement, his eyes, now calmer than before, reading Zack's face and the words he couldn't bring himself to say.

"It'll be okay, in the end", Cloud murmured.

Zack saw in those pale blue eyes, that Cloud didn't blame him.

**Return to Time-line**

* * *

><p>Zack's sole focus upon drawing his mind out of horrific memories was on getting stronger, and getting accustomed to the familiar weight and shape of the Buster Sword again, so when he had the chance to pause for a few minutes and hack away at the local Monsters he took it. They were decently strong, and were good exercise for his muscles and mind.<p>

His boots sunk into the fertile earth, leaving behind almost invisible tracks on the ground, the air smelled faintly of rain and was actually rather cold for a more heated climate. Zack's face molded into a grimace of displeasure when little raindrops began to fall, pattering on the ground and creating little puddles.

As if his mission wasn't difficult enough. Where was he supposed to hide from the rain? It was grasslands all around him, the closest tree must have been two miles away and there weren't many rock foundations. With the raindrops steadily increasing in size and velocity, he'd be drenched by the time he got to the leafy haven. And even then he'd still get soaked under the branches.

His pace sped into something like a trot, and the sound of his boots hitting the ground and the rain around him at first hid a faint sound. It steadily grew louder though, a loud, whirring, _chop chop chop._

Zack stopped, his back going ramrod straight for a moment before he turned to look behind him. The wind, already hectic, grew even more wild, lashing out at his face and throwing pieces of grass and other debris around.

_Please no!_

There was a sleek black helicopter approaching.

It had the Shinra logo on it's side.

"Shit!", Zack growled, his open face forming into a scowl and his electric eyes filling with anger and fear. After coming this far, after doing so much and leaving Cloud behind... He was going to be shot down?

Zack tensed, his grip tightening on the Buster Sword as he swung it out of it's holster.

In-between feeling sick to my stomach, my head pounding, and seeing, smelling, or hearing things that did not really exist, I cursed Hojo with everything in me. That horrid man was the reason I had a fever, probably pretty bad, and couldn't see anything without the world tipping sideways and downwards, while the walls moved like jello. There were tears falling from my eyes, not that I really noticed anymore. I wasn't crying because of anything. The tears were just there, falling without my permision. My mouth was dry and my lungs felt oddly raspy, I'm not entirely sure of how or why on that either. I've never heard of _lungs _feeling dry and like sand paper. All together, I felt like shit. But at least I can open my eyes now, and I can move a limb without feeling like it wasn't actually there. The hallucinations have died down too.

I shuddered and curled my fingers- which had gotten noticeably thinner and longer over the time spent here- around my upper arms.

_Fuck, _if I ever got my hands around Hojo's skinny neck...

I'd kill him. Because he's fucking me up, physically and mentally.

I think- No, I'm positive I've developed an ingrained, soul ripping terror of fire. I _hate _fire now. It was _painful_ to see it in this cold cell, and smell the flesh of rotting, burning corpses while the flames licked over my skin, reminding me of how Nibelheim burned. As if the nightmares weren't bad enough... Fire and smoke, two things I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable around again.

Since the hallucinations have died down, my mind occasionally fades out of consciousness, and just kind of wanders. I'm exhausted, even after getting some sleep when the assistants brought me back here. I'm still wondering how they wheeled me here. I'm also starting to pay more attention to my half conscious state of mind, because when I take the time to notice... There's a big blank spot in my memory, all of a sudden, that feels like it shouldn't be there.

I can't remember anything about my father, who died when I was only about three. I do remember that I kept his memory fresh in my mind for years, and that I should have some semblance of who he was. I knew his name, what color his hair was and if it was spiky like mine or not, if he was tall, or short like me...

But now... I forget what he looks like now. Or what his voice was like. I don't know what's making me forget, maybe the trauma of Hojo's experiments is finally catching up to me, cracking my mind apart like they did to Sephiroth... But as horrified as I am, and sickened and scared out of my mind as I am, I feel... Distant. Detached.

Why can't I remember?

Why can't I remember how my mother acted when he died? Why is my childhood fading? _What _did Hojo do to me?

My fists clench as they fall to my sides, and my breathing picks up quicker. The Mako that usually flows laxly through me picks up, effected by my emotions, and lends me some energy to get up and drag myself to the bathroom. I discard the little clothing I had on, pants and boxers. I needed to get clean, I needed something to help me calm down.

I walked to a corner of the room, lower than the rest, that had a rectangular foot by foot drain and a shower head. I shakily turned the single knob for water, and leaned against the crudely cut wall. The shower ran intervals of warm and cooler water, so it was fairly relaxing. Soldier bodies didn't handle temperature the same way as regular humans, it was harder for them to be effected by external elements, and therefore made it more difficult to change their body temperature.

And while I never actually made it into Soldier, thanks to my lack of socialism, I damn well had the body of one now. Sitting in a cold room all the time left me feeling icy for hours afterward.

I ran a hand through my hair, expecting to feel tangled hair, but my hand ran through it smoothly, with no knots to stop my fingers. I frowned, feeling little bits of something come off of my hair and into my hand. When I looked, I saw crystallized Mako resting in my hand.

Disgusted, I dropped it. I then washed my hair, thoroughly.

What could I do? I was sick, and my energy was literally next to nothing most of the time. Apparently I was turning into a human Mako Reactor, somehow. I had to do something. I had to rest up and get stronger, and then try and get the hell out of here. Find Zack. I couldn't just wait for him to get me, waiting could take years, honestly. Fighting Shinra wasn't a small thing, and as soon as Hojo realized what Zack was up to, he'd probably force me to some other hidden lab- Or Goddess forbid, Midgar.

It was impossible to keep my mind from wandering too that... _Dream_. The way it had felt, having him so close... Did I really only think of him as just a friend? Just my best friend? Or was there something more? It felt like it. It felt like I wanted to kiss him, hold him. Make sure he was never afraid again and take care of all his worries.

I guess, somewhere along the line, I fell in love with him.

Somehow it didn't surprise me.

I'd always loved Zack, I knew that, I just never realized I was _in love _with him. I suppose I should have felt ashamed, but I just accepted it quietly. I could deal with this, even if he never felt the same. I was sure that I could live with being just a friend. It wouldn't be the hardest thing I ever did. I'm sure facing Sephiroth took the prize on that.

I dug my fingers into the dark rock, noting that some of it crumbled under my grip. I _was _getting stronger. Gazing at my fingertips, which only had a hint of red on the pale skin, I blinked water out of my eyes and rested my heated forehead against the rock. I felt torn between happiness and anger. Hojo was doing this to me. But it was making me stronger. I hated Hojo, and the Mako that ran through my veins. I hated Shinra, and I almost hated Sephiroth. But I knew the truth behind him. It wasn't exactly his fault. Everything that I hated or disliked, was making me stronger. But was strength worth all this pain?

Worth becoming a monster?

To Zack's astonishment and suspicion, the Shinra Helicopter hovered close to the ground, about twenty feet away. The sleek black metal glinted and was slick from the rain. The rotating blades flattened the grass beneath it and mud and water went flying around. The door slid open, and a familiar head of red hair and lanky limbs made his presence known. Loudly.

"Zacky boy! I haven't seen ya in like two years yo!", Reno shouted above the engine, hopping down to the ground and walking, _slinking,_ towards the slightly dumbfounded Zack. The redhead looked just like before, except for the long ponytail he sported behind him. He was dressed in a black suite, and as to his style, it was rather unkempt. The suite jacket was unbuttoned, and the white dress shirt he wore was untucked, with the first button undone. He still had those two symmetrical red tattoos on his cheeks, under his eyes, and a pair of goggles on his head. Though these were a newer looking pair.

"Reno?", Zack asked incredulously, his grip on his sword loosening slightly and his defensive position relaxing, just a bit. There were no guns pointed at him, and Reno, though a Turk, was his friend.

A friend who left him for dead, he remembered quite suddenly, and viciously. That betrayal had hurt, a lot.

"Come on yo, don't get like that on me man", Reno drawled as he saw Zack tense and his face close up. Reno dropped a cigarette onto the wet ground, crushing it with one of his shoes.

"What do you want?...", Zack asked warily. His boots were starting to seep into the soggy ground under his and the Buster Sword's weight.

Reno's face grew morose. "I just wanna help you".

At Zack's distrustful look, the redhead held his arms out, "Do I look armed, yo?". He had no weapons on him visibly. Zack didn't want to take his chances.

"You're a Turk, you could easily have a concealed weapon on you", Zack said lowly, meeting the Turk's eyes.

"Whaddaya want me to do yo, strip naked for ya?", Reno asked with a raised brow. "Look man, this is how it is. I know about what went on... Most of us Turks do", his gaze grew apologetic, "But we couldn't do nothin'. You know how it is, we don't have names, we go missing... No one's gonna miss us. We're disposable, more than ya Soldier boys, and we're all pretty damn loyal to the Pres' yo".

Zack shifted onto his left foot, lowering the Buster Sword some.

"And what does helping me entail? Taking me back to Hojo?", Zack glowered.

"Fuck no, yo. He didn't even want you anymore, had some break through with the little blond fella", Reno said, sniffing lightly and scratching the tip of his nose. Zack's blood ran cold at the mention of Cloud.

"You know what that bastard's been doing to him?", Zack questioned, taking a few steps towards the Turk. His hands balled into tight fists.

"Yeah, Hojo sends in reports, and being the wonderful man I am, gladly check them out for our good ol' Pres, who's too lazy to get off his fat ass and check if somethin' noteworthy has happened himself", Reno grinned, cheery while saying something that could get him into trouble, and an angry Ex-soldier in front of him.

"How could you help me Reno? How can you now when you couldn't before?", Zack questioned, brow furrowed in frustration. He swung the Buster Sword over his shoulder and onto his back, taking notice of how Reno's shoulders lost a little tension.

"Easy, yo. Get you back into Soldier"

Zack glowered. "I knew you could be an idiot Reno, but really?"

"Naw, man, think about it! I find ya, wandering around, not knowing who you are and not rememberin' nothin', Shinra will take you right back in. The chance to snatch ya back up, train ya to be a good Soldier again, they'll take to it like a fish to water", Reno urged, his hands waving around a bit as he spoke to elaborate how much he believed it would work.

And, as stupid as it was, Zack could see potential to it.

"Well. That... Actually sounds like it might work out", Zack laughed, slightly nervous, and ran a hand through his hair, a habit he'd developed in his youth and had spread on to Cloud. Of course, it worked better when his hair was dry.

"Tseng's in on it too yo, and Cissnei, Rude, and Elena. We're all willing to help ya out, like we wanted to before yo", Reno said, looking determined, "We'll help you get the Kid back".

Zack couldn't help it, he crossed the final bit of land between them and pulled Reno in a massive bear hug. Squeezing him like a teddy bear and lifting him off the ground.

"Thank you!"

Reno kicked his legs, indignant and turning blue due to his current inability to breath in Zack's crushing grip.

"Zack man!- Need air!"

"Oops~...", Zack let him down, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. This felt... Nice. Like old times. He found that the scars from Hojo's manipulation weren't deep enough to ruin his friendship with Reno, and was glad.

The Redhead grimaced at his now sopping wet suit, before looking at Zack.

"Damn dog, ya got your smell all over me. Let's get in the fuckin' chopper already", he grumbled, turning and walking towards the helicopter, soon followed by a briefly hesitant Zack. Reno jumped in and disappeared, not waiting for the Ex-Soldier. The chopper swayed some as the Turk moved around inside.

'_Here goes nothing', _Zack thought, and grabbed the side, warily lifting himself in. Rude sat in the pilot's seat, looking exactly like before with the exception of a couple more ear piercings. Reno had uncovered some towels from a magic (not) compartment under a few passenger seats.

"Here, yo", he said, tossing a fluffy pink towel to Zack.

"The fuck?..."

"Don't ask me man. Shinra stocks the helicopters"

Zack reluctantly dried his hair and clothes with the towel, wondering just why they were pink, of all colors. He watched Reno say something to Rude, and then close the door. He plopped down in the seat beside Rude, and gestured to the other passenger seats.

"Sit your ass down"

Zack complied, setting the Buster Sword on the row of seats on the other side of the chopper.

"What type of chopper is this?", he asked, looking at the spacious amount of leg and lounging room.

_Is that a mini fridge?_

Rude adjusted his sunglasses as Reno took control of the chopper, "The President's".

"Oh. Hey there Rudey!"

"Rude", the bald man corrected without even a hint of irritation in his tone.

Zack just grinned, mirroring Reno's own, which he saw from the windshield's reflection.

The helicopter went airborne again, heading directly for Midgar. Reno's flying was smooth, even in the gusty winds of the storm. He really was skilled, even though it didn't show much in his laid back appearance.

"Off we go, to save your little monster", Reno murmured, almost quietly.

"He's not a monster Reno", Zack said, amused and (Ever so slightly) defensive for his little blond friend.

'_He will be. When Hojo's done with him', _Reno thought, but didn't have the nerve to actually say that out loud. '_He won't be the same person you left behind, Zack'._

"So Zacky boy, how'd you escape the Doc's evil clutches anyway? He didn't elaborate in his report- or show much care", Reno asked.

Zack had laid down on the row of seats, folding the arm rests up and taking this chance to relax for all it was worth. He looked up towards the cockpit at Reno, and then up at the ceiling. The storm was dying down, and it wasn't too loud inside.

"I just kinda saw an opportunity and took it. One of the guards left the door to our cell open, thinking that we were too weak and beat up to actually make a break for it. He was kinda right, Cloud could barely walk, and I wasn't much better. The Mako ended up saving my ass in the end", Zack said, not elaborating much himself.

"So that's why ya left choco boy? He was draggin' you down. Never took ya to be one to leave your friends behind, yo", Reno commented.

Zack bristled, a flare of guilt and regret lunging at his heart and tearing it up.

"He... It would've killed him to go on the run. And... He wanted me to leave", Zack said, waves of depression falling thick and heavy on him. Gaia... He shouldn't have left.

"Well, I won't bother ya about it yo", Reno muttered, stealing a glance at Zack's prone figure. The young man, now 20 years old, still resembled his younger self strongly. Zack currently had one pale arm thrown up and over his eyes, the other resting on his stomach lightly.

"Go to sleep man, we'll wake you up before we get to Midgar", Reno told him. It'd be more than a few hours until landing anyway.

"'Kay..."

Zack used a couple towels for pillows, glad that his hair would hide his face. The sun was coming out, and he was used to darkness. He frowned at the thought. When was the last time he spent a worry free moment in the sun? When had Cloud? When _would _Cloud?

But then he reminded himself that he was a step closer to rescuing Cloud, and then they'd both walk in the sun, unafraid. No longer pursued by Shinra or used as test subjects. Just alive, and hopefully happy.

He smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<br>**

**Zack, in Crisis Core, didn't seem all that forgiving when he met up with Cissnei. But, that was after four years in Hojo's hands, while this is two. And I may have strengthened his bond with Reno, as he and the Turk never really seemed to hit it off as good friends, Even though the two are friendly. I have trouble with Reno's dialogue... I understand that he says 'Yo' and that he has a laid back demeanor. So I messed with his speech a little bit. If you have suggestions, let me know.**


End file.
